Hello Trent movie goers and film enthusiasts! Next week, Wednesday February 11, Trent Film Society will be screening Ira Sachs’ 2014 film Love is Strange, the final part of our romance theme. This loving and endearing drama is sure to warm your heart as we approach Valentine’s Day.
Love is Strange follows an old gay couple, Ben (John Lithgow) and George (Alfred Molina), recently married after nearly 40 years of being together. Tension arises when George loses his job and they are forced to give up their cherished apartment. Fortunately, they find support from friends who offer them each a place to stay while they try to put their lives back in order. This kindness only relieves some of their burden as they have to stay at separate places during that time, putting stress on their relationship.
Though it is still a part of the film, the focus is seldom on the adversity Ben and George encounter as a gay couple. They live in a loving and accepting community. Though the discrimination they face is still explored in the film, the main focus of the film is on the problems that arise in Ben and George’s relationship from being forced by circumstance to live apart from each other.
There are no melodramatic moments or over-the-top expressions of affection. Instead, the film relies on the great chemistry between Lithgow and Molina when they are together on screen, as well as the amounting gloom when they are separated, to convey the movie’s deeper message of the commitment to love.
Love is Strange avoids cliché and cheesy romantic ploys to make way for a beautiful, heartfelt, and at times, heart-wrenching love story that redefines the Hollywood concept of soulmate. It is playful, charming, and sincere in its approach of depicting life-long partners, giving a tangible shining example for all couples to look up to, old and new.
The film faced some controversy in the United States with the MPAA rating the film R, despite there being no sexual or violent content. Their justification for the rating was a few instances of coarse language. Some critics suspect the rating was given by merit of its gay content. In Canada, the film is rated PG. We here at TFS stand by Canada’s rating and see no reason why the content of this lovely film can’t be enjoyed by viewers of all ages.
Is there such a thing as true love? Can love withstand adversity? Do Ben and George stay together after nearly four decades of being by one another’s side? To find out the fate of this amiable marriage, join us at 8pm @ Artspace, your local artist-run center, located at 378 Aylmer Street North, by the corner of Simcoe and Aylmer, near the Greyhound Terminal.
Our screenings are completely free. They are also open to anyone, not just Trent students, so bring that special someone!